Philippians 2:17-18

17. Yea, and if I am offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all: 18. and in the same manner do ye also joy, and rejoice with me.

Translation and Paraphrase

17. But (I hasten to assure you that I do not ask you to hold forth the word of life just so I can have easy victories for myself. For even) if I (should lose my trial here and give up my life, and) be poured out like a drink offering upon the sacrifice and the service of your faith (those things being the sacrifice and I being the drink offering), I rejoice (personally) and rejoice (jointly) with you all.
18. And (now) in the same way, you (yourselves) also be rejoicing (personally), and rejoicing (jointly) with me.

Notes

1.

These two verses are like a jewel set at the peak of a crown. Paul has given a stirring exhortation in Philippians 2:12-16. Now he crowns the paragraph with a magnificent statement of his own self-sacrifice. He uses a bold figure of speech, and tells of his own complete dedication without affection, boasting, or insincerity.

2.

The Gr. verb translated offered (spendomai) means to be poured out as a drink offering, or libation. According to Old Testament law a drink offering of a cup (about a quart) of wine was poured out upon the carcass of each burnt offering. Numbers 15:4-5.

Paul compares the service and sacrifice of the Philippians to a burnt-offering, and his own life to a drink-offering poured out upon their sacrifice, as a final enrichment of that sacrifice.
The self-sacrificing dedication of the great martyrs like Paul is indeed the crowning enrichment and glory upon whatever sacrifices we as disciples of Jesus may make.

3.

By his reference to the possibility of his life being offered, Paul raises (in Philippians 2:18) the sobering reality that he might not be acquitted and released from Rome, but might be executed. If this happened, his career would close, like a poured-out drink offering is thenceforth never used again.

4.

Paul refers to the service (Gr. leitourgia) of the Philippians-' faith. The service referred to be this word is divine service, the service or ministry of priests relative to the prayers and sacrifices offered to God (Thayer). Outside the Bible the term was used to refer to various types of public service, but in the Bible it always has reference to divine service, and suggests again the truth that every Christian is a priest unto God to offer spiritual sacrifices well-pleasing to God. 1 Peter 2:5.

5.

Paul rejoiced to think that his career, however it might end, might be like a drink-offering poured out upon the sacrifice of the Philippians-' faith. He called upon them to rejoice with him in this thought. There was nothing morbid about it it was a glorious point of view. He rejoiced in their triumphant sufferings, and wanted them to rejoice with him.